For the first time since 2007, the future stars of mixed martial arts return to Las Vegas’ South Point Arena, and the nation’s premiere amateur promotion is bringing a one-of-a-kind celebration of “Beauties, Beasts and Beers.”
“Tuff-N-Uff: The Future Stars of MMA” on Jan. 27 welcomes fight fans to an evening featuring six beauties (including one previously featured in Playboy) in a trio of female fights, 18 beasts competing in nine men’s MMA contests and a sampling of six different beers, which will be part of a complimentary sampling menu available to all ticketholders.
“We haven’t been to the South Point Arena since 2007, and we’re excited to return to such a fantastic facility with such a unique event,” Tuff-N-Uff president Barry Meyer said. “With a full lineup of competitive fights in both the men’s and women’s divisions, not to mention the opportunity for our fans to enjoy a free beer tasting during the night, it promises to be a memorable event.”
An official “Beauties, Beasts and Beers” pre-party, featuring live music and the start of the evening’s beer tasting, kicks off on Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. PT local time. The first fighters are scheduled to hit the cage at 7:30 p.m.
The night’s featured female fight sees former Playboy model Latasha Marzolla (2-1) in a 135-pound rematch with Christy Tada (1-7). The two first met in 2009, with Marzolla scoring a first-round TKO win. However, Tada contends she knows what it takes to down her high-profile opponent and looks forward to earning a signature win.
Additional female fights include Wand Fight Team product Kari Lichtenwalner (1-3) looking to snap a three-fight skid in a 130-pound fight with Legends MMA product Kristi Lopez (1-0), who in February earned a TKO win in her amateur MMA debut, as well as a pair of debutants in Angelik Sergovskiy (0-0) against Jamie Herod (0-0).
The night’s lineup of “Beasts” is headlined by a featherweight title fight as once-beaten champion Cesar Campos (9-1) takes on hard-hitting 10th Planet Riverside product Trace Gray (8-2). Campos, a five-time Tuff-N-Uff veteran, went 8-0 in 2011 and looks primed for a successful professional career, but Gray – the current California Amateur Mixed Martial Arts Organization (CAMO) lightweight state champion – will certainly provide a stern test, as evidenced by his previous four hard-fought wins under the Tuff-N-Uff banner.
Additionally, knockout artist Giovani “Geo” Zavala (2-0) clashes with the equally heavy-handed Wand Fight Team product Khalil Rountree (2-1) with Tuff-N-Uff’s vacant light heavyweight belt on the line. Both fighters boast a history of first-round knockout wins, so fireworks are a near guarantee.
Other key matchups include Marvin Eastman’s son Boostayre Nefarios (5-1) against Extreme Couture product Roman Isbell (7-4), welterweight spark plug Milan Zerjal (4-1) facing Wand Fight Team fighter Luis Franka (2-0) and an intriguing bantamweight matchup between Chris Alvarado (2-0) and Ronnie Jones (5-2).
In addition to the night’s featured contests, a full lineup of aspiring amateur fighters from some of the world’s top academies – including 10th Planet Riverside, Cascao Jiu-Jitsu, Legends MMA, Team Beastman, Throwdown, Wand Fight Team and Xtreme Couture – will compete at Tuff-N-Uff’s Jan. 27 event.
Tickets for “Tuff-N-Uff: Beauties, Beasts and Beers,” which start at just $25, are available by calling South Point Arena Box Office at (702) 797-8055 or online at SouthPointArena.com and TuffNUff.net.
The full fight card is available for viewing at TuffNUff.net.
Come see the future stars of mixed martial arts.